Do You Believe In Destiny?
by Lunatic Waffle
Summary: [HIATUS UNTIL FUTHER NOTICE: I'm sorry to have to do this, but my passion for this fic is fading. I'll be writing another in its place until I'm passionate enough about this one.] A botched mission leaves four Guardians stranded on a planet deep in uncharted space. Do they have what it takes to survive in a world of bloody evolution?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Uncharted

"This is the last time we let you fly!" Came a decidedly Scottish male voice in the cargo hold. The four Guardians occupying the ship were being shot at by a Sand Eaters craft, and had some very close encounters with their fire. Due to the nature of their mission, stealth technology had to be procured. But good old Cayde-6, their current pilot, only managed to find one drive. And so, they all had to pile in one of the larger ships. It was a miracle the Vanguard let him out of the Tower at all.

"Engage the warp drive, Cayde!" The Ghost of one Stimmlos-4, a Hunter currently in the hold, spoke up. Stimmlos, often referred to as Stim by his squad mates, was rendered mute when he was struck dead thousands of years ago. As such, his Ghost was unable to heal the wound, and the two forged a deeper bond than most Guardians and their Ghosts to compensate for his lack of verbal communication.

Cayde obliged, but at the last possible second the ship was struck by an unseen projectile, sending it careening out of orbit and toward seemingly empty space.

…

Hours? Days? Weeks? Who knows how long they were adrift at unfathomable speeds for? All they knew was they were stuck like this until they ran out of fuel. After which, they would most likely die lonely deaths, stranded in the vastness of space. Well, the organics would. The two Exo Hunters aboard would remain adrift for however long it took for a hostile ship to find them and blast them to kingdom come.

Eventually, the fuel ran out and something totally unexpected filled their vision. Earth? No, the continents were… different. But the fact that the surface appeared to be mainly liquid water was enough to give them hope. Soon enough, they impacted the surface and they appeared outside the ship, their Ghosts resurrecting them not a minute after 'landing' on the planet.

"Andy? Can we salvage the ship?" This time a female Titan, clad in jet-black armour, addressed the Scottish Warlock. He looked at the ship, whilst his Ghost scanned, before turning back to the group. "So, dae ye want the long answer or the short answer?" A strange growling reached the crash site, indicating that the short answer was the way to go if they valued life. "The ship's fucked." He drew his MIDA Multi-Tool, the Titan activated Sunbreaker, Cayde pulled out a nondescript hand cannon and Stimmlos readied his Shadowshot, unsheathing Quickfang as he did so.

Beowolves jumped out at the group, and they opened fire. Cayde's cannon fired highly explosive rounds, evidenced by how the Beowolves ceased to exist after being shot. Nichola, the Titan, mashed wolf heads with her Super, backed up by Andrew, who found that the Beowolves' heads popped after a few bullets from the Multi-Tool. Quickfang, Stimmlos discovered, was excellent at making Beowolf sushi. He marveled at how easily and cleanly the blade sliced through their flesh. After a few minutes of fighting, in which Nichola's Sunbreaker had long since expired and she simply pummeled the wolves, they stopped coming. Just as the Guardians thought the onslaught was over, a Deathstalker wandered into the clearing. It brought its stinger down upon Andrew, cutting through his shields and impaling him. He reappeared shortly, firing upon the glowing stinger. "Vex!" He shouted, the other Guardians firing upon the glowing weak point as they would a Vex crystal. It was quickly severed, Nichola smashing down upon it and driving it through its skull.

"Well now, you four put on quite the show." An unknown voice reached the clearing. The four turned to see a man with silver hair clutching what appeared to be a cane, flanked by an unkempt man brandishing a flask and a formal-looking blonde woman with green eyes and a… riding crop?

"What's it to you?" Cayde decided to speak up.

"Ah, I suppose I should explain. I am Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. Who might you be?"

This time, Andrew spoke, gesturing to the crashed ship behind them. "Well, as ye can see Professor, we're no exactly from aroond here."

Upon seeing the ship for the first time, the three looked genuinely shocked. "So, you're saying you're aliens?"

Nichola removed her helmet, flicking her auburn hair out of her eyes and addressing Ozpin. "Well, I'm not sure you can call us that. We're humans, like you. Well, half of us are."

Andrew removed his own helmet, revealing his close-cropped ginger hair. Cayde flipped back his hood, showing his 'beautiful, beautiful horn'. Stimmlos followed suit, removing his helmet to unveil two smaller horns. Perhaps that was why he was Cayde's favourite.

"Cayde and Stimmlos here are what we call Exos. These Exos are pinnacles of humanity's technological prowess in the Golden Age. They were rebooted when the Darkness returned, and the Traveler granted some of them Light." Stim's Ghost was the one to talk this time.

"Exos… Golden Age… Light? Please, explain." Ozpin was confused.

Stimmlos' Ghost was set to ramble on again, but his owner simply activated Shadowshot, sending pure Void Light through the chest of an Alpha Beowolf creeping up on the three before him.

"Let's continue this somewhere safer." Nichola spoke again.

"Agreed." Andrew seconded that.

"What she said." Cayde this time.

Stim pointed to Nichola, indicating that he, also, agreed.

"Very well then. If you would follow me." Ozpin turned and walked a path through the forest, the others following.

Suffice it to say, the four Guardians were not looking forward to explaining the history of humanity. Especially since the four Ghosts each confirmed that they were deep in completely uncharted space, with no information or location. Whilst some may blame Cayde's piloting incompetence for being here, others may say it was some other, more fantastical reason. You might even say it was destiny that brought them here. Whatever the purpose, they hadn't the slightest idea what the future may hold.

 **Hey there! Just a reminder that, if you like the story so far, remember to review and tell me what more I could be doing.**

 **And another thing, the update schedule for this story is… well, there isn't one. With real life taking up more and more of my time, it may be months before you see a new chapter. Just be assured that, until told otherwise, I am working on another chapter.**

 **-Phoenyx**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Initiated

After a rather brief explanation of the events that climaxed with the four's arrival on Remnant, along with an equally brief speech by Ozpin regarding what dwelled on the surface of the planet, the ship touched down on a landing pad.

"This," Ozpin announced, "is Beacon Academy."

"Nice place. But why bring us here?" Andrew asked.

"This is a school of Huntsmen and Huntresses. People dedicated to protecting our civilization against the Grimm." Ozpin answered.

Suddenly, a red blur slammed into the scruffy, cape-wearing drunk.

"UNCLE QROOOOOOOW!"

"The hell?" Nichola jumped back and pulled out her Sunshot, lowering it as the blur was revealed to be a young girl clinging onto the now-named Qrow's arm.

"Hey kid." The drunk said.

Ozpin cleared his throat and said, "Let's go to my office."

The group of six, now free of Qrow, proceeded to the large tower at the centre of campus. After a fast elevator ride, the doors opened to a large office.

"So, after your exceptional performance in the forest, I would like to extend an offer to each of you. You will be provided with food, water, a Scroll, a place to stay and scholarship in this Academy. In exchange, you will provide us with some of your knowledge and, if you will allow it, technology."

"What do you guys think? I'm on board for repeating college." Andrew said.

"Studying at the Academy could help us in our current situation." Nichola agreed.

"As long as I get to stay in the field, I'm in." stated Cayde.

Stimmlos gave Ozpin a thumbs-up, indicating that he, too agreed.

"Excellent. Glynda, if you would show them to their dorms please. Your initiation is tomorrow." Ozpin began tapping a semi-transparent screen.

"Certainly. Right this way, students." Glynda Goodwitch led them to the elevator.

The journey to their dorm room was rather quick. As they entered, they saw four white oval-shaped objects on a table.

"Those are your Scrolls; devices that enable global communication." Goodwitch continued.

Glynda gave them a quick lecture on what would be expected of them during their time in Beacon, then excused herself and left the four Guardians to their own devices. As they were technically not students, they had no obligation to attend any classes yet. The organics went off to the canteen for dinner, while the Exos explored (See: Hacked) Vale's database. They learned quite a lot about the fundamentals of the soul, along with the powers that came with one's Aura.

The night came and went, and all too soon it was time for initiation. The four were instructed to head to Beacon Cliff, which was easy enough to find. Along the way, they saw a dearth of students preparing to watch something on a massive screen. Apparently, their initiation was to be a spectator sport. They also spotted posters for a '40th Vytal Tournament'.

Ozpin directed them to a row of plates set into the dirt, instructing them to stand on one. They obliged, and the bespectacled man gave them a run-down on what they would be doing. There were two chess pieces laying in some ruins, deep in the forest. The first Guardian each of them laid eyes upon would be their partner for their time in the Academy. After partnering up, each pair would retrieve one of the chess pieces, and make their way back to the cliff. Simple enough.

There was a clicking sound, and the four were sent flying into the forest at drastically different angles. Nichola was sent high, Andrew was flung forward, Stimmlos nearly collided with Cayde mid-air, and Cayde was sent spiraling into the tree. Everyone landed more or less unscathed bar Andrew, who landed face-first in the dirt and had to be resurrected.

It took a while, but eventually everyone was partnered up and near the ruins. Cayde and Stim were first and saw the two pieces: a white and black King. Stimmlos reached out and picked up the black piece, handing it to Cayde who had a pouch. Said Exo slipped the piece into the pouch just as the two organics arrived. Stim threw them the only remaining piece, and they began to walk back to the cliff. However, the local Grimm had other ideas.

Boarbatusks charged from the bushes, followed by Ursai and Beowolves lumbering through the foliage and Nevermores cawing. Nichola immediately threw up a Ward of Dawn, Andrew readied his Stormtrance, Cayde summoned his Golden Gun and Stim pulled Crimson from the hip holster it was nestled in. At that moment, something strange happened. Nichola's Ward grew, Cayde's Gun began burning hotter and brighter, and the four all felt much more power than they previously did.

"What the…" Cayde muttered.

Andrew let loose with his Stormtrance, and it vaporized swathes of Grimm. Cayde pulled his trigger, and a Nevermore fell out of the sky. Stim felled an Alpha Beowolf with a single burst of Crimson, and Nichola's Ward stood up to everything the Grimm threw at it. The waves subsided, and the group conversed.

"What… was that?" Andrew asked.

"Give me a second…" Stimmlos' Ghost began scanning all four. After completing his scan, he spoke.

"I believe that we have just 'unlocked' our Aura. It may be amplifying our Light somehow."

The group would have continued, but a Deathstalker came out of nowhere and slammed its mandibles into Stim, launching him into a ditch some distance away. Grimm surged anew into the clearing with the remaining Guardians, and as Stim finished rolling, he came face to face with the one thing he didn't want to see. A pack of Grimm looked at him intently, their glowing red eyes boring into his.

 _Shit…_

 ***le gasp* A new chapter? This soon? What?**

 **I had some spare time, okay?**

 **-Phoenyx**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Pack

As Stim stared into the glowing red eyes of a Beowolf mere metres from his face, a startlingly humanoid Grimm hobbled to the front of the pack. It was draped in a red shawl and held a twisted branch as a makeshift cane. It seemed to peer into his eyes, before stepping back and… speaking? Stim, along with his Ghost, were shocked at what happened next.

" **Can you hear me?"** the Grimm said, in a somewhat motherly voice.

"You… can understand it?" Stim's Ghost said in a mixture of shock, awe, and fear. Stim nodded affirmative, both to the Grimm and his AI companion. The Grimm, which Stimmlos decided to refer to as a female, spoke again.

" **You can? Amazing… few humanoids can understand, and fewer still are as interesting as you. I sense no proper soul inside you, but rather a tremendous power."** She peered closer. **"Wait… impossible… Rorke! Fetch the essence!"** An Alpha Beowolf yipped at her words, then scurried off into a patch of foliage. It returned with a large vial in its jaws. The Grimm pulled out an ancient stopper with equally ancient hands, before pouring a few drops inside Stim's mouth. It went down like tar and burned all the way. He would have choked, had he retained a gag reflex, but instead he knelt, unmoving, whilst this 'essence' did its work.

The shawl-clad Grimm, after a minute or so, gently tipped his head upward, looking into his eyes once again. **"Incredible…"** Stim caught a glimpse of her eyes and was startled. They were not the same burning red as the other Grimm around them, but rather a deeper, more soft crimson in the iris, whilst the whites were the same colour as parchment yellowed by time. The pupils were black voids, with purple glowing dots in the exact centre. She turned to the Grimm behind her, before spreading her arms and making a terrifying announcement.

" **An Alpha has awoken!"**

There was a huge amount of dissent in the ranks at this. Beowolves howled in protest, Ursai smashed their paws into the ground and the Deathstalker that brought the Guardian here in the first place clicked its mandibles. A black haze passed over Stim's metallic throat and left a black circle where his voicebox (or, more accurately, the millennium-old hole that took its place) once was when it dissipated. All of a sudden, his robotic head was full of things about Grimm that civilization didn't even know existed.

It seems today was the day of firsts, because, albeit in Grimm, Stimmlos spoke for the first time in a thousand years.

" **SILENCE!"** He roared. This came out as a particularly wolfish growl. The pack swiftly shut up as this… thing… began to speak to them. **"As she said, I am your new Alpha. Any who wish to dispute that claim, come forth now!"** It appeared as if Stim's Grimm communication was the same as a Beowolf's.

An Ursa Major made its presence known by taking a swing at Stim. The Hunter easily dodged the blow and followed up with a slash to its throat. Not giving an inch, he forced a Vortex Grenade down its throat and watched as it seemingly choked before exploding and dissipating. After this show of power, the humanoid Grimm bowed to him, followed swiftly by the rest of her pack. No, it was his pack now. He motioned for them to rise, then approached the humanoid Grimm lady.

" **What is your name, wise one?"** Stim asked.

" **I am Elder Aruk."** She answered. **"And before this ancient mind forgets, sire; you possess power I have seen in only one other. That other was the original leader of this pack, one of the first Alphas. Note that an Alpha and a pack leader are different; an Alpha possesses abilities not known to standard leaders but leads a pack all the same. Also, pertaining to your muteness; you will be able to speak to humans in time, I assume, but for now speaking to the Grimm is your only verbal communication. The essence has healed you, but its job is not complete."** A Beowolf skidded to a halt in front of the Elder.

" **Elder, I sense a hostile presence approaching. We must make haste!"** The wolf scurried away, following the rest of the pack.

" **In due time, all Grimm shall bow before you, sire. For now, the pack must hide. I shall take charge while you attend to business with humans."** A Deathstalker scooped Aruk up with its stinger and ran off after the pack.

Cayde and Andrew came into the clearing a short while after Stim's pack cleared out, swiftly followed by Nichola and, surprisingly, Ozpin.

"We followed as soon as we could, those Grimm were relentless. The Nevermores flew this way, but the ground-based Grimm simply fled." Ozpin said.

"Wait, why did you come out here Ozpin?" Stim's Ghost handled human communication.

"Well, I can't afford to lose such talented fighters. And the Grimm presence was much, MUCH higher than we've ever seen during an initiation. As you might say, it was fishy."

"Anyway, now that the team's back together, we can proceed." Andrew spoke up.

The team made their way to the cliff, where a small crowd had gathered. Mostly jealous final-years, but some were there to congratulate them on their performance against such overwhelming numbers. They were given an hour to rest, then called to an assembly hall for the team-forming ceremony.

"Cayde-6, Andrew MacOrains, Stimmlos-4, Nichola Sturmbrecher. Henceforth, you will be known as Team CMSN (Crimson). Led by… Cayde-6."

 **Yeah, I have a few things to say here. First, I would have made this chapter longer, but Word did a big fuck up and I need to release it like this. Second, I hope you weren't expecting regular updates, because there won't be anything of the sort. Lastly, I may be starting another series, so there may be more infrequent updates than if I kept to the same series.**


End file.
